TRIALS WITH THE GEL MASK

i'm posting my Introduction to the main site page at the suggestion of 'Rested Gal'. She felt I might get more suggestions from the more experiened CPAP users who visit this site. In addition she felt my experience might serve as a 'heads up' to those contemplating a new or replacement mask.

By way of introduction I hope to tap into the experiences of members of this forum to get a good night.
I've been a CPAP user for approximately 2 months. The first month with a trial machine and a basic mask was successful in that I thought I gained many of the benefits advertised with use of the machines. I felt more rested, more alert, didn't doze off while reading and quit snoring much to my wife's delight.
The second month has been with my own machine which I purchased, a Respironics Remstar Plus with a Respironics Gel Mask. I'm not entirely happy with my second month. I seem to be regressing to my old dozing off habits despite the fact that I'm getting about the same amount of sleep that I normally get. I also find that I am experiencing nasal congestion which makes it difficult to breath. It became so bad last night (30 Oct) that I actually removed the mask in the middle of the night. I have never done this before.
I've also finally got the mask to fit comfortably without leaving a great honking red mark on the bridge of my nose. It's been a trial getting the mask comfortable so much so that I hope it lasts a long time because I don't want to go through this adjustment phase with a new mask too often.
I'm hoping this web site will provide me with the lessons learned from more experienced CPAP users and make this machine a positive addition to my sleeping life.
Till the next time
Phil (aka Boxtop51)

Back to top

For your nasal congestion - what is the cause? allergies or chronic rhinitis or cold?
I have had good results from taking an antihistimine, using and nasal steroid spray, and using a hypertonic saline nasal / sinus wash.
When I have a cold I add a breatheasy strip across the nose, or there are several other nasal dilators (openers, I am not sure what to call them) which I have purchased over the years. They can help. Over the counter nasal sprays help for a few days then have a rebound effect.

The other possibilities on not feeling as rested is that you might be mouth breathing or your machine setting may have become unadjusted. Take the cpap in and have its pressure checked.

For the mouth breathing, if you can get it a full face mask is wonderful. I have never had luck with the chin straps for the masks, but you might. I did succeed with a product that I don't remember the correct name of, but its here on the internet, and the wall street journal mentioned it. It is the the breath easy which goes across one's nose, but this goes across one's chin and up beside the mouth.

I hope you find the solution which works for you.

Boxtop51,

Are you thinking the congestion is caused by the cpap? If so are you using a heated humidifier?

Hi

when I frist got my frist gel mask, Profile Lite It took a bit of fiddling with the head straps to get the right tightness on my nose keeping the pressureized air in my nose, 1st time it was too tight and I got a red mark on my forehead from the gel spacer that sit on your forehead.

Then after a few adjustment I got the right tightness and was able to sleep with the mask on get a good night's sleep and wake in a morning WITHOUT a red mark on my forehead! Now days I have my mask adjusted to what is comfortable without causing what I call a "Hindu Mark"

[Please pardon my phrase if you are a religous hindu or indian]

As I gotta admit that I've seen a alot Hindus wearing a tradional red dot on their foreheads where ever they go. Often I feel like one of em when I see the bright red mark that my CPAP mask Proflie Lite [gel mask] has made on my forehead during the night whist wearing it and it often takes hours to fade away..

As some time it make me thing think that I am honorery hindu or indian. But now I got it right in adjusting the mask and it doesn't mark my forehead anymore!

The comfort of masks is a very individual thing. The Profile Lite and the Comfort Gel seem to be two of the most common nasal masks that people are initially given with their first machine. I detested both those masks. On me they were leaky and hurt the bridge of my nose. A lot of people have discomfort or leaks with those two masks. So why are they so commonly dispensed? They are cheap. DME's are in business to make money. I also suspect that Respironics probably has a very aggressive sales force - perhaps the DME's receive extra good deals to stock and push those two particular masks? Just my personal opinion.

Unfortunately, a newly diagnosed person is at the mercy of the insurance companies and the DME's (home health care equipment providers). It probably was a shock to find out one has stopped breathing x number of times during sleep. "Apnea" and "cpap machine" are scary sounding things. It's natural for the new user to accept whatever the DME tells him/her.... "Here's the mask you should have." "Here's what the doctor prescribed for you." "Here's what you need - this is a good fit on you." After all, those are the health care professionals, aren't they? "This is one of our most popular masks." LOL!! It might be the mask the DME pushes the most, thus sells the most of....and makes the most profit on.

Finding a comfortable, leakproof (insofar as possible) and effective mask is one of the most difficult parts of cpap therapy. The mask can certainly be the "make it or break it" point as to whether people are able to continue therapy or not. The insurance companies want to save money, the DME's want to make money, the doctors don't have the time or inclination to look into comfort issues ("That's the DME's job!") - so....unless the patient is lucky enough to fall into the hands of a truly knowledgeable, caring employee of the local DME, the new cpap user is almost surely in for a rough time with a first mask. He/she is told, "Well, it takes time to get used to it." "Oh, your nose will toughen up." "Keep trying - you've really got to keep it on all night." And they wonder why compliance is low and people drop out of this therapy in alarming numbers!

If more new users were able to find their way to this message board and other good apnea message boards before being issued equipment perhaps things could change for the better. URLs to several good message boards should be given to each patient upon their very first visit to the sleep clinic. Or certainly before they walk out the door after a titration. Patients who are able to educate themselves can make better informed choices about equipment when they enter the mysterious world of the DME's. What new patient would ever think to say, "No, I don't want that gel thing - I want an Activa, please." Or, "May I see a Breeze and a Swift, please?" Of course it would be a rare DME that actually has all three of those very good interfaces. You may learn a lot about the DME by what they don't have....and won't order for you.

Rested gal is smokin today!

Way to go after those unscrupulous DMEs

What you suggest everyone do is exactly what I did and it worked great for me.

Why do they think someone already with problems getting good sleep is going to do better with some uncomfortable leaky thing straped to their face.

You're also right that most Docs don't care. Mine looked like a deer caught in the headlights when I pulled out all my literature on the equipment I wanted.

You're wrong on one thing - DMEs are not in business to make money...
...they are in business to make obscene money.

I recently read on another forum that a DME was pilfering all but one set of the nasal pillows from the swift package (it comes with three sizes) claiming to the patient, that if he gave her all three sizes he would have to charge her insurance for three masks. Probably charged her triple the online price anyway.

Thanks for stepping on your soap box

I think as wading thru the muck has suggested may nasal problem is connected to humidity. I have not connected my humidifier yet. It's still pretty early in the heating season up here in the frozen north and if I need the humidifier now I don't know what it will be like in the depths of winter when the air gets REALLY dry.

I my problem may have something to do with what I have eaten or drank during the day. I'm going to start comparing possible cause and effects tonight. I had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner. If I don't have any congestion then I'll know it is not the wine. That will be a relief.

I'll let you know at the end of my scientific cause and effect experiment.

Hi Boxtop51,

You may need the humidifier just to counteract the drying effect of all that air blowing in your nose. That can have a dramatic drying effect through evaporation. I use my heated humidifier everyday.

Good luck with your experimenting. it's the best way to figuire out what's going on.

i found that not cleaning my cpap like i was supposed to i would get congested and wake up nauseated(sp) i called my oxygen company and they asked how often did i clean it and when i told them they said clean it more often and i did and the results were very good the problem is not completely solved but much much better

i clean my humidifier and nose mask and tubing with warm water and white vinegar and i hand wash the straps

what do you all clean your mask and tubing with??

EbonyEyes wrote:i found that not cleaning my cpap like i was supposed to i would get congested and wake up nauseated(sp) i called my oxygen company and they asked how often did i clean it and when i told them they said clean it more often and i did and the results were very good the problem is not completely solved but much much better

i clean my humidifier and nose mask and tubing with warm water and white vinegar and i hand wash the straps

what do you all clean your mask and tubing with??

I clean the hose and mask with warm water and a few drops of baby shampoo.
Squeeze a few drops of baby shampoo into the top end of the hose. Leave the mask attached, but remove the straps. Slip the top end of the hose over the kithen faucet aerator or the spray thingy. Run fresh water in the top end of the hose and let it stand in the mask. The shampoo will be carried through the hose and mask. You can rub your fingers inside the mask if you like for extra clean there. I only do this about once a week.

If you changed masks in the second month and are now having problems, you might want to buy one of the original masks you were using. During my titration test, we tried several masks. They do make a difference. I recall that one made my ears hurt. I really wonder how a mask would do that since it would seem to be a function of pressure and the pressure was the same, but it did.

Hello! I just had my second sleep study done last night. I'm not sure which cpap machine was used , but I felt great upon awakening! I was told that the cpap used had a humidifer on it. When I asked if all cpaps have that feature, he told me no, explaining that some people do not want added humidity. I cannot image why ! When given a choice of nasal pillows or a mask, I selected an Ultra Marage mask. It seemed to fit OK, except for some pinching across the bride of my nose. When I get the prescription from the doctor and go to a DMG supplier, I hope to find a mask better suited to my face. As far as machines, I have no idea! i just know that I am trying to prepare myself NOW for the names, models and features that the seller may throw out at me. I really want to avoid alot of the trial and error, as best as i can. i really appreciated this forum for helping to organize my thoughts on all this cpap "stuff!" Without it , i would never know there were choices in this cpap fog!

I use the Respironics gel mask & love it! I did have trouble for about the first 8 days with a bad sore on the bridge of my nose, but once that resolved I have never had another problem. I am very sensitive to any "foreign" substances & figured that the gel was the best way to go. I haven't tried any other masks as of yet. I am also one of the minority apparetnly that cannot tolerate the humidity! I have asthma & maybe this is why, I'm not sure, but when I try & use the humidfier on the machine it makes me feel as though I'm suffocating. It also makes my mask fill with water & I about drown when it suddenly all goes into my nose. So I never use the humidifier.
As for yur sleepiness again, I went through that, too, & was upset about it thinking the machine wasn't working, but my dr. told me that we tend to have a rebound effect on the machines. At first you feel absolutely wonderful & full of energy & then after a couple of weeks your body goes through some adjusting & you can feel tired for a couple of weeks like the machine isn't working. Hang in there. It gets better again! I can't imagine not sleeping with my CPAP. I've been on it one year now & it has changed my life for the better in a tremendous way!